Leer for annealing plate-glass.



Patented De'c. I7, |901.

' J. SCHUBERT.

LEER FOR ANNEALING PLATEGLASS.

(Application led June 21, 1901,)

`2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

WITN ESSES Y lNvENTEIR- YHE NDRms PETERS di). PHOYC-LWHO.. waQU-WHONv D.C

Patented Dec. I7, 190|.

.1. SCHUBERT.v

LEER FR ANNEALING PLATE GLASS.

(Application ala June 21, 1901.)

..2 Sheets-Sheet 2 (No Model.)

INVENT'U R.-

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

JOSEPH SCHUBERT, OF FORD CITY, PENNSYLVANIA.

LEER FOR ANNELING PLATE-GLASS.

- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 689,233, datedDecember 17, 1901.

Application tiled June 2l, 1901. Serial No. 65,439. (No model.)

T0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOSEPH SCHUBERT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ford City, in the county of Armstrong and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements invLeersfor Annealing Plate-Glass, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This inventiohvrelates to leers for annealing plate-glass, and hasparticular reference to improved means for moving the platesprogressively through the leer from the inlet end thereof to thecutting-table.

Leers now in general use are provided with mechanical devices, such asrods and chains, which either sustain the plates Wholly above theleer-floor or lift the same therefrom while advancing them. Suchmanipulation of the glass is objectionable, as the opposite facesthereof are subjected to unequal temperatures, on account of which theplates frequently break or crack. In addition the varying level of thedevices referred to and their engagement with only portions of the glassarea frequently result in sagging and distorting of the plates. The mostsuccessful results are secured when the glass is maintained on aperfectly flat surface without manipulation, save forward movement,until thoroughly annealed andin condition for cutting.

It is therefore the primary object of thel present invention Ato providemeans for advancing the plates on'the leer-floor through the entirelength of the leer without lifting or other manipulation. v

The invention consists in the novel features of construction and in thecombination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described andclaimed, and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1is a sectional plan view of a portion of the length of a leerconstructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsectional view of the saine, thefor- Ward end thereof being shown inside elevation. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the opposite side of the leerfrom that shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a portion ofthe leer, the side wall being removed to illustrate the relativepositions of the operating parts, the plate-moving devices being shownin position for advancing the plates in full lines and in dotted linesraised free of the plates and readyv to be moved back for a new hold.Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional View on line 5 5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a rearend elevation, the mechanism being shown in operative position in fulllines and raised, as when moving backward for a fresh hold on the glass,in dotted lines.

Referring to the drawings, 2 represents the smooth level door ofthelleer; 3, the side walls thereof; 4, the vaulted roof or ceiling; 5,the

inlet-opening from the annealing-ovens, (not shown;) 6, the discharge oroutlet opening, and 7 the cutting-table.

8 represents shafts arranged .transversely at suitable intervals in theupper portion of the leer, being mounted in bearings 9, seated in walls3, and depending from each shaft are the two pairs of parallel arms 10,provided ou theinner sides of their lower ends with the separatedrollers l1. The arms and rollers of the several shafts are in linethroughout the length of-the leer, and the rollers form supports for thehorizontal angles of the elongated T-bars 12. The webs of said barsdepend below the rollers, and secured thereto vare the strap-hangers 13,which at -their lower ends carry the push-bars 14, which eX- tend acrossand are in close proximity to iioor 2, the said bars being provided ontheir rear sides with braces 15, extending to T-bars 12. The severalshafts 8 are extended at one end and provided with crank-arms 8', andall of said cranks are connected by the elongated sectional rod 16. Ateach crank connection the said rod is preferably provided with aturnbuckle 16, whereby the length of the rod may be readily increased ordiminished and whereby section s of the rod may be removed or replaced,as may be required. One of the shafts 8 is provided with a crank-arm 17,which has loose connection with cross-head 18, the latter being actuatedby piston-rod 19, operating in cylinder-*20. the T-bars project throughthe leer-wall and are connected .by bar 21, and depending from this barare pins or bolts 22, which are movable vertically in apertures formedin the cross-head bar 23, thelatter being actuated by piston-rods 24 ofpower-cylinders 25, arranged on opposite sides of the leer.'

The rear ends of With the .mechanism inthe position shown in Figs. 1, 2,and 4 push-bars 1-t are in engagement with the rear edges of the glassplates 26, so that when power is applied from cylinders 25 T-bars 12 aremoved longitudinally outward over hanger-rollers ll, moving or.

pushing therewith over the flat leerfloor the plates 26. A push-bar isprovided for each plate, sot-hat the latter are not brought in contactwith eachother while passing through the leer. Each of the bars 14 isshown providedovitlra bottom lip or langellt', which projects slightlybeneath the plate, assuring a firm hold for the push-bar, though saidlips or lianges are not absolutely essential and may, it' desired, beomitted. The stroke of T-bars 12 is equal in length to the distancebetween adjacent push-bars 1l, so that at each operation each plate isadvanced a distance a little greater than its width until it vfinallyemerges onto the cutting-table 7. At the completion of each forwardstroke of T-bars l2 the several shafts 8 are oscillated through themedium of cylinder 2O and connecting-rod l5, thereby lifting said barsand the push-bars carried thereby'to the position shown in dotted liliesin Fig. LLand immediately the. power is reversed in cylinders 25 andbars l2, and the pushing devices carried thereby are moved backward overthe plates for a fresh hold, after which the hold of cylinder 2O isrelaxed, permitting the bars to drop to operative position behind theplates. This operation is repeated each time itis desired to make roomfor a fresh plate at the inlet end. Ordinarily the casts are` tenminutes apart, so that there is ample time to manipulate the mechanismin the manner described. Hangers 13 andabra'ces 15 are so connected tothe T-bars as not to interfere with the movement of the latter overrollers 1l, so that the reciprocating movement of the bars is free andunobstructed. In case it should be necessary to remove said bars fromthe leer, together with the glass-pushing devices carried thereby, it isonly necessary to open the rear end wall sufficiently to permit the sameto pass outward.

One side of the leer may be provided with anumoer of combined windowsand doors 27, whereby access may be had to the interior of the leer whennecessary and whereby the same may be inspected from without wheneverdesired. The vaulted roof or ceiling may be provided with coveredopenings 2S vfor the purpose of ventilation or for regulating orgraduating the heat. Said covers may also serve to removably sustainelectric lamps 29 for illuminating the le`er.

At each operation a` straight longitudinal forward pull is exerted onthe glass, which causes all the platesin the leer to slide bodily andflatly on the bottom or tloor thereof without being raised-or otherwisemanipulated.

As the essential 'principles underlying the invention may findexpression in a variety of mechanical devices without departing from thescope of the invention as dejined by the claims, it will be understoodthat I do not restrict myself to the specific mechanism here shown anddescribed.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of aplate-glass-anneal- 'ing leer having a flatfloor-adapted for the reception and forward movement of glass plates,and mechanism within the leer and operating from above for advancing theplates therethrough while resting atly on said floor, substantially asshown and described.

2. The combination of a leerhavinga fioor adapted for the reception andforward movement of glass plates, depending plate-pushing devices abovethe glass-receiving floor and movable longitudinally of the leer, andsustaining means for said plate-pushing devices, substantially as shownand described.

3. Ther combination of a leer having a floor adapted for the receptionand forward movement of glass plates, depending plate-pushing devicessustained above the glass-receiving floor and adapted to reciprocatelongitudinally of the leer, sustaining means for the devices, andineansfor varying the plane of reci procation of said'devices,substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination of a leer havinga floor adapted for the reception andforward movement of glass plates, a horizontal succession ot' connectedand depending plate-pushingdevices, horizontal ways above theglass-receiving licor for said connected devices, means for changing theelevation of said ways, and mechanism for reciprocating the connectedpushing devices, substantially as shown and described.

5. The combination of a leer having a dat bottom, alongitudinally-movable support, plate-engaging devices spaced at equalintervals on the support and depending therefrom to the leer-bottom, andmeans for actuating the support, substantially as shown and described.

6. The combination of a leer having a fiat bottom, alongitudinallymovable support, plate-engaging devices spaced at equalintervals on the support and depending therefrom to the leer-bottom,means for reciprocating the support, and mechanism for raising thesupport and the plate-engaging devices carried thereby during thebackward reciprocations of the support, substantially as shown anddescribed.

7. The combination of a leer having a ilat bottom,alongitudinally-movable support and means for moving the same forward andbackward, plate-engaging devices projecting from the support, and meansfor moving said devices out of engagement with the glass during thebackward `movement of the support, substantially as shown and described.

8. The combination of an elongated leer having a flat bottom, anelongated support ex- IOO IIO

tending from end to end of the leer,vertically movable sustaining meansfor the support, plate-engaging devices depending from the support tothe leer-bottom for sliding thev plates forward thereon, means forreciprocating the support, and means for actuating thevertically-movable support-sustaining devices, substantially as shownand described.

9. The combination of a leer, a forwardly and backwardly movingplate-engaging device extending to the leer-bottom, means for actuatingsaid device, and means for holding the device raised clear of the glassduring its backward movement, substantially as shown and described. l

10. The combination of an elongated leer, shafts arranged transverselytherein, means for oscillating the shafts, supports depending from theshafts and forming guideways, elongated bars sustained by and movablelongitudinally in the supports, and plate-engaging devices dependingfrom the bars to the leer-floor, substantially as shown and described.

1l. The combination of an elongated leer, shafts arranged transverselytherein, means for oscillating the shafts, arms depending from theshafts in pairs, rollers on the inner sides of the arms, elongated T-bars supported on the rollers and depending therebetween, andplate-engaging devices depending from the bars to the leer-floor,substantially as shown and described.

12. The combination of an elongated leer, elongated bars within theleer, supports through which the bars are movable, plateengaging devicesdepending from said bars to the leer-bottom, beams for moving the barsvertically, a cross-bar with which the said bars have avertically-movable connection, and power-cylinders operatively connectedto the said cross-bar, substantially as shown and described.

13. The combination of an elongated leer, crank-shafts arrangedtransversely therein, a rod connecting the cranks of all the shafts,means for reciprocating the rod, supports depending from the shafts,plate-engaging devices depending from the supports, land means forreciprocating the plate-engaging devices,substanti ally as shown anddescribed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH SCHUBERT.

Witnesses:

MYRTLE D. THOMPSON, WILLIAM SIMM.

